On the 11th day of Christmas
Keep candles, lighters and matches out of reach of children. Never leave a burning candle unattended
Fire is one of the most common causes of accidental injury and death among children. They are naturally drawn to the warmth and light of fire, but without proper guidance this can turn into a dangerous fascination. The following tips will help keep your children out of harm's way.
Talking to your children about fire
Give children under five clear instructions of what they should and shouldn’t do. With older children, it’s better to also explain why. You will probably need to talk about fire safety more than once, to make sure they have remembered and understood what you have taught them. Tell them:
to tell a grown-up if they see matches or lighters lying around
never to play with matches, lighters or lighted candles
never to play, or leave toys, close to a fire or heater
not to put things on top of heaters or lights
not to pull on electric cables or fiddle with electrical appliances or sockets
never to switch on the cooker or put anything on top of it
never to touch any saucepans on the cooker
Fire instructions for children
It's important to talk through with children what to do if there's a fire - don't avoid it for fear of frightening them. Children need to know the basics of how to react, as there may not be an adult around to tell them what to do if a fire happens. Here are the basic instructions to give to your children
if they see smoke or flames, they should tell someone straight away – a grown-up if possible
get out of the building as soon as possible
never go back into the building for anything
never hide in a cupboard or under a bed – get out of the house and call for help straight away
find a phone and call 999, and ask for the Fire and Rescue Service – give the address of the fire slowly and calmly make sure that children know their address so they can raise the alarm.
Plan an escape route and make sure that everyone in the house is familiar with it, including children, childminders and babysitters. Keep all exits clear and practise the escape plan with children.
Here are some measures you can take in your home to make sure your children stay safe:
don't leave children on their own in a room where there's a fire risk
keep matches, lighters and candles in a place where children can't see or reach them - and put child locks on cupboards
put a child-proof fireguard in front of an open fire or heater
don't let children play or leave toys near a fire or heater
keep portable heaters in a safe place where they can't be knocked over when they are being used or stored
never leave children alone in the kitchen when you're cooking and never let them play near the cooker
Published: December 23, 2010
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